Col

Col. 4:7-18

11/11/2007

“Final Greetings”

Remember how Paul began his letter after the initial greeting? “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you…” (v. 3). Until he changes to the first person singular (“I”) starting at v. 23, he speaks in the first person plural (“we”). This is understandable because he identified the sender as himself and Timothy (v. 1).

But as we come to the final greetings section, we get a more complete picture of who the “we” were at the beginning of the letter. The letter might have been sent formally by Paul and Timothy but there were many more people involved.

First of all, we have the people designated as the couriers of the letter: Tychicus and Onesimus (vv. 7-9). Tychicus is described as “a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord” (v. 7). Onesimus is described as “our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you” (v. 9). By the way Paul describes them, we can sense that they were much more than just a couple of delivery men. Their responsibility was not just to deliver the letter as common couriers. Theirs also was the responsibility to personally tell the church(es) all about Paul’s activities and in doing so encourage their hearts (v. 8), to tell them of everything that had taken place surrounding Paul’s imprisonment (v. 9). You see, they were to encourage the Colossians by sharing how Paul was doing in prison, how, even in prison, his apostolic ministry did not stop but continued in his prayer for the churches, in his correspondence with them and his coordination of missionary and pastoral activities of his coworkers. If he could not be out there in the mission field because of his imprisonment, his prison would be the missions command center. Nothing could stop his labor for the Lord. For the Lord he served saved him through His death. Death did not stop our Lord from saving us; rather it was used as an instrument of our salvation, leading Him to His glorious resurrection. Then neither can imprisonment or any kind of tribulation stop us from serving our resurrected Lord! “Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death” (Phil. 1:20)! Tychicus and Onesimus were to bring Paul’s encouragement to the Colossians.

In the next section (vv. 10-14) we have a collection of what is called “the third person greetings”. Here we see Paul greeting the Colossians on behalf of his fellow workers. Mentioned are Aristarchus, who is described as Paul’s “fellow prisoner”, Mark the cousin of Barnabas and Jesus who is called Justus (v. 10). Paul also adds that they are the only Jewish men among his fellow workers for the kingdom of God and how they are a comfort to him (v. 11). Then Paul mentions Epaphras, who was one of the Colossians (v. 12), and Luke the beloved physician and Demas (v. 14).

In the next section (vv. 15-17) we have Paul giving his instructions to the Colossians to greet others on his behalf: he is asking them to be his messenger. This is where we learn about other churches, such as the Laodicean church as well as the house church in Nympha’s house (v. 15). Paul asks that his letter be read among the Colossians as well as in the church of Laodicia. He also instructs them to read his letter to the Laodicians as well. Then he asks them to convey his message to Archippus: “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord” (v. 17).

In the final verse (v. 18), Paul “autographs” the letter, asks them to remember his chains and gives his benediction, “Grace be with you”.

So what are we to make of this final section? Why should these personal things be included in the Bible, the Canon of Christianity?

We must recognize that these greetings were personal because they involve specific individuals, not because they were trivial in any way. We must not forget that these greetings were the greetings of Paul the apostles. As such, they still retained an official character. But as personal greetings, they give us brief yet intimate snapshots into Paul’s ministry as well as the life of the Early Church. These personal greetings show what the Book of Acts does through its historical narratives, just in a different format. Through these greetings we can learn much about Paul’s ministry and about the life of the Early Church.

First, we learn that Paul did not carry out his apostolic ministry alone. It is true that the apostolic office was quite exclusive. Although there were others who were also called “apostles”, the Twelve Apostles were recognized as a distinct, exclusive group of leaders in the Christian community from the earliest days. Paul was later on added to this group as he was handpicked by the resurrected Lord on the road to Damascus. Although Paul had a unique, exclusive office as an Apostle, he did not work by himself, or just with the other Apostles. He surrounded himself with co-laborers, who were not Apostles, and he called them “brothers”, “fellow workers”, “fellow bond-servants”, some of whom were also his “fellow prisoner(s)” when Paul was in prison.

Pay attention to the diversity, which characterized the makeup of Paul’s brothers and fellow workers. Even in our passage we see both Jews and Gentiles. And as we shall see, there was a runaway slave (i.e., Onesimus, v. 9) as well as those with enough resources to host a church in their homes (e.g., Nympha, v. 15). All those who received the gospel of Jesus Christ were “brethren” to Paul, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether they were converted by his own ministry or by others. To Paul, these converts were his brothers and it was not just in name only. His newly established relationship with them in Jesus Christ was not just an idea, just a fact that he recognized to be true but without any real, practical, tangible effects in his life and actions. He treated these converts and interacted with them as his brethren. How do we know that?

He did not hesitate to work with them. We all know that it is one thing to say, “I accept you” and another to be willing to actually work with him. And think about what was the context in which Paul labored and what his coworkers meant for him. His ministry took him to the frontline of the war between the domain of darkness and the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (1:13). His co-laborers, then, were none other than his comrades in this spiritual battle against the kingdom of darkness. He looked to them to stand with him shoulder to shoulder, to cover his back and to protect his flanks and to support him in various ways, as he did the same for them. It is indeed one thing to have all kinds of people as our casual acquaintances but it is totally another to have someone as our comrade in battle. The latter requires a great deal of trust. And we all know how difficult it is to trust someone who is different from us, economically, socially and even racially. But the gospel of Jesus Christ broke down all those barriers and the diversity of Paul’s coworkers demonstrated the supremacy of Christ. Do we have this kind of community and camaraderie? Can you trust your fellow members next to you to stand together with you in your spiritual battle? Are you that kind of comrade to your fellow members that they can trust to cover your back in the battle field? That is what we want, isn’t it? That is what we need, for sure. And more importantly, that is what God designed for His church as He enlisted each of us in His army.

So in this inner circle of Paul’s ministry we not only find Jewish Christians but also Gentiles rich and poor and even a runaway slave. What mattered to Paul was not their ethnic background or social status but their faith in Christ and God’s calling. Thus the diversity of those who made up his inner circle of coworkers as well as the unity among them.

What we see in Paul’s circle of coworkers is a snapshot of the new covenant community formed under the lordship of Jesus Christ. As it is the new covenant community, it replaces the old covenant community, which was almost exclusively made up of the physical descendants of Abraham, who were sealed with the physical sign of circumcision. But the new covenant community is formed by “a circumcision made without hands”, “by the circumcision of Christ” (2:11). It is a community that transcends ethnic barriers, made up of both Jews and Gentiles. For Jesus Christ came not only as the Seed of Abraham but also as the Seed of the woman. Before Abraham was called out to start the chosen nation, even before there was any ethnic, racial or national division in the world, there in the Garden of Eden God promised the Seed of the woman: He would come and vanquish the serpent of old and redeem all of God’s people, both Jews and Gentiles, through His suffering victory. In fact, even in His promise to Abraham God promised to bless all the families of the earth in his chosen Offspring (Gen. 12:3; 22:18). The international membership of the church of Jesus Christ shows the fulfillment of God’s redemptive promise. And isn’t it a wonderful blessing to see right here in our congregation a picture of the rich diversity of the church of Jesus Christ? Simply by being here together, side by side, as a church, diverse in our ethnicity but united as one in Christ Jesus, we are a testimony to the world and to one another regarding the truth of God’s word and the faithfulness of our Savior to accomplish all that He has promised about His church and history! Just by looking at one another in this place we can praise our Lord for His unfailing faithfulness to His promise and to us His people!

Add to that the newness of the new covenant! The new covenant is new not just because it comes after the old covenant; it is new in a permanent sense--that is, there is nothing newer coming after it! The new covenant in Jesus Christ will not be replaced with a newer covenant--this is it! It is the final, everlasting, eternal covenant! It is an unbreakable, infallible, fail-safe and perfect covenant. But how can this be when we say, “Promises are made to be broken”? If we can have an unbreakable covenant, it is only because it is based on the perfect work of Jesus Christ. Who of us can guarantee that we will never change, never fail? And if we are bound to fail, how can our covenant be unbreakable? That is why we needed a covenant of grace and God graciously granted it to us. This covenant is of grace because the Son of God fulfills our covenant responsibilities in our place for us! Because He paid the penalty of our sins and fulfilled our duties, it is able to deliver us from sin and hell and usher us safely into the kingdom of heaven! Because the new covenant is based upon Christ’s perfect work, there can be nothing better or newer. If this new covenant is able to usher us into heaven, what more do we need? Is there anything better than heaven?

It is precisely because the new covenant community is an important part of the kingdom of heaven, it is to reflect the character of heaven. Its citizens are not judged according to the standards of the fallen world--according to one’s social, economic status, according one’s educational or professional accomplishments, or according to one’s appearance. What matters in the new covenant community is one’s allegiance to Christ and his faithfulness to Christ’s calling. Take a look at some of the ways in which Paul describes his coworkers: Tychicus, “a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord” (v. 7); Onesimus, “our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you” (v. 9); Aristarchus, “my fellow prisoner” (v. 10); Epaphras, “a servant of Christ Jesus” (v. 12). And their work? Of great comfort to Paul (v. 11); “always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God” (v. 12); working hard for the church of Jesus Christ (v. 13). And what is Paul’s desire for them? As it is exemplified in his exhortation to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord” (v. 17). If we belong to the new covenant community, we cannot be respecters of wealth, social status, degrees and looks. Our sense of identity or self-worth cannot be grounded in our profession or our title. Not that these things are of no value whatsoever. We must be diligent and, if possible, excel in the vocation unto which God has called each of us. But we must not forget the most important calling of all because it is the foundational to all other callings: to be a faithful servant of the Lord and to be a beloved brother/sister to one another in the Lord. It is precisely as the Lord’s servants that we work in our home, our workplace and our neighborhood. And let us not forget the church of Jesus Christ and your ministry in it as His servants!

This new covenant community is also a community of reconciliation. Reconciliation is mandated and motivated by Jesus Christ, who, through His death, reconciled us to God and to one another. We already mentioned Onesimus. Do you know his story? He was a runaway slave to Philemon. In his letter to Philemon, Paul asks Philemon to receive his runaway slave, Onesimus, as his brother in the Lord! Can you believe that! What a thing to ask--not only to forgive but also to receive him and honor him as his brother? Yet I am certain that Philemon could not mock at Paul’s plea. For he must have known from his association with Paul that the Apostle himself would have done what he was asked to do! All we have to do is to take another look at the list of Paul’s brothers and coworkers and how he received both Jews and Gentiles, especially as a former Pharisee to receive Gentiles in the flesh as his brothers and as his coworkers, in fact as his comrades in battle, to trust them enough to watch his back!

But even more telling is what Paul says concerning Mark the cousin of Barnabas. If you recall, there was a rift between Barnabas and Paul over Mark. Mark was with Barnabas and Paul at the beginning of their first missionary journey (Acts 13:5). But soon Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). So when Barnabas wanted to take Mark along on the second missionary journey, Paul opposed, “insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work” (Acts 15:38, NASB). Mark’s offense must have been serious for Paul to respond in this way. But now Paul and Mark are reconciled. And it seems like Paul before this letter gave special words of commendation to the Colossians concerning Mark. Even in this letter Paul asks them to welcome him, if he should come to them (v. 10). What a touching picture! What we don’t see in Paul’s words is a begrudging, cold, unfeeling, superficial reconciliation. What we see is rather a heart-felt, complete reconciliation, which enabled him to trust him enough to work together with him!

Brothers and sisters, that is the power of the gospel! We can’t say, “You cross me once and that is it!” If there is genuine repentance, there is genuine acceptance. And that is what the world needs to see in the church of Jesus Christ! That broken relationships can be mended, wounds can be healed and trust can be restored with genuine repentance to the point that former enemies can work together. Such a powerful gospel is what unites us together as a body of Christ! It is inevitable in this world that our relationships should be strained and in some cases ruptured, even among fellow members. We will disappoint one another. We may even sin against one another. But something greater than our pride and ego, something greater than our failures and sins, binds us together: we all have been forgiven much by our Savior, so much more than our fellow saints can sin against us! And it is our Savior, who commands us to bear with one another, forgive one another and love one another. It is for the sake of Christ that we should seek reconciliation with humility and love.

But we must also remember that this new covenant community is not yet perfected. Included in this list is Demas. We hear of Demas again in 2 Tim. 4:10. There Paul says to Timothy, “Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica….” For Demas to be included in Paul’s circle of coworkers, he must have demonstrated many godly characteristics and actions. But he went astray on account of his love for the world. We don’t know what happened to Demas, whether he repented of his love for the world and returned to faith and service in the end. But he is a sober reminder of Peter’s words in 2 Pet. 1:10: “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure.” For we know that such a defector was present even in the inner circle of Jesus’ Twelve Disciples. For now the wheat grows together with the tares. “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). And we must be all the more diligent in caring for one another, challenging and encouraging one another to be diligent in making “every effort to supplement [our] faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love” (2 Pet. 1:5-7). May God help us to be diligent in caring for one another so that no one falls through the cracks.

Let me conclude. If Paul did not minister alone, it was not because he was a needy guy, who was deathly afraid of being alone, was it? Neither was it simply because he was a great strategist and tactician, who knew how to work with people and bring the best out of them. Nor was it because he was just a practical guy, who knew that there was too much work to be done and he could not do it all alone. What are we to see in all this--the manner of Paul’s ministry and the rich variety of the new covenant community? Jesus Christ, the Foundation, the Head and the Lord of His church. As Paul declared in the beginning of the letter, “He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (1:18-20).

If the church is rich in its diversity, it is because He is the Lord of all, the Lord of heaven and earth and all that they contain! If Paul did not minister alone, if Christians are not to live out their Christian life and do ministry alone, it is because Christ Himself has designed it that way! That design humbles us because none of us is capable of doing it all alone. As finite, limited creatures, we need one another. We are the individual voices that make up the heavenly choir. The heavenly song, the redemptive chorus, cannot be sung just with the sopranos. We need the altos. We need the tenors. We need the basses. This song of redemption, which God composed and Christ conducts and the Holy Spirit accompanies, is so rich, so intricate, so harmonious that it takes into account every member and the unique tone and color of each voice! We cannot sing this song alone. We cannot belch out whenever and however we feel like. We must listen for one another. We must keep in step with one another. There is the music score to be followed by everyone according to God’s direction. We’ve got to keep our eyes on Christ, the great Conductor. But we must also listen to one another and keep the beat.

Of course, life may be easier if we don’t bother about other people. Life may be easier that way but not richer: we can have an easy life but we cannot have a rich life without one another. We will miss the rich choral harmony of Christ’s music. But we must be motivated by something more than the glory and beauty of Christ’s chorus. For the true excellence of His song is veiled by our imperfection, for now, to say the least. None of us sings the note perfectly. Our pitches are off often and so is our timing. Someone is singing too loud and another is not singing loud enough. It is easy to be discouraged and disappointed. There is no doubt that our song will be perfect when we sing before God in our heavenly glory. But for now, we are faced with our imperfections and the imperfections of other saints. Yes, being together with others may be more depressing than encouraging at times, or quite often. But we must not, and we cannot, retreat back into our individual foxholes. We still need one another, both in positive and negative ways. We need help from others because we are not self-sufficient. But we also need--yes, need!--to lend our helping hands to grow in our spiritual maturity. For we do not grow just by taking in and in and in; we need to give out and exercise our gifts. Christ has placed us together so that we can show the love of Christ to one another. But we must also not forget that Christ has put us together to help one another grow in patience, in Christ-like patience, because we have to deal with those who are imperfect, to say the least.

But even more importantly, if we must accept one another as brethren and work together as co-workers, it is because Christ has accepted us as His brethren and works together with us as His co-workers. We must not forget: it is Christ and Christ alone, who can build His church--a church that is completely free not only from sin but also from every tinge of blemish and imperfection. He alone is able to build such a church. Yet He builds His church through His imperfect people, people who are still sinful. So then, it cannot be because He needs our help, is it? Left to ourselves, we would only hinder the work, not help! He works in and through and with us not because of anything we can contribute--after all, what do we have that we did not receive from Him? He works in and through and with us because He wants to build us up to conform to His own image. This is undoubtedly “more work” for Christ. We know that, sometimes, it is easier to do it ourselves. It is “more work” to work with others. Yet He is only glad to work with us to train us and build us up. If so, how can we not bear with one another and work together, especially when we do need one another and their gifts? What is more, let us not forget who our fellow saints are. They are our “brothers”. Even more importantly, they are “servants of Christ”! They need our love and respect and all the cooperation we can give because Christ has received them as His servants, as His co-workers. So Paul did not think it beneath him to work with others because he was an Apostle.

Just take a look around you. God has already blessed this small congregation with the richness of His kingdom. The bond that we have is thicker than blood. The unity that we have is deeper than the superficial common grounds of the world--our social status, our economic class, our educational background, our ethnicity. Let us work together. Let us accept one another as brothers and coworkers! In doing so, let the light of this glory shine in and through us. There is choice to be made: is it about us or about Christ? Is it about our ease and the security of our comfort zone or is it about His glory? We belong to the marvelous kingdom of God’s Son. The day shall come when we shall see its glory in its fullness. We may be frustrated now with all the imperfections of the church. But knowing that her perfection is inevitable, let us strive together to build up this community--the community of the new covenant, the community of Christ, the community of reconciliation, the community that is imperfect but predestined for perfection. May the Lord be pleased to bless us and build us up to what He has called us to be.